BC Ferries were faced with a number of issues Saturday, causing cancellations and delays across several sailings.
High winds have cancelled all further sailings between Victoria’s Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen in Delta. This includes sailings at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Other sailings cancelled due to winds included the Queen of Alberni’s 12:45 p.m. sailing from Nanaimo’s Duke Point, as was an earlier sailing of the Coastal Inspiration from Duke Point.
“It’s difficult to predict when sailings will resume and non-reserved customers will be able to travel as weather and vessel issues are putting considerable pressure on the system today,” noted a social media post from BC Ferries at 1 p.m, advising that travellers monitor travel advisories on the ferry corporations website.
The 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Victoria had been cancelled due to mechanical issues that could cause safety issues in high winds, according to a 9:45 a.m. service update from the Crown corporation.
Sailings from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo’s Departure Bay were delayed by 35 minutes due to an IT issue that impacted ticket purchasing.
Sailings between Tsawwassen and Nanaimo were facing a 90-minute delay, due to a medical emergency on a ferry travelling between Nanaimo and Vancouver earlier.
READ MORE: High winds cause power outages, ferry cancellations in Metro Vancouver
The high winds along the Georgia Strait also forced BC Ferries to cancel the 11 a.m. departure form Mayne Island to Tsawwassen, as well as the 12:40 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Salt Spring Island.
The cancellations and delays along south coast ferry routes follow last weekend’s busy holiday scheduling, which saw lengthy lineups until Wednesday.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
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